Illusions of Grandeur

New Zealand Listener, Volume 9, Issue 215, 6 August 1943, Page 4

Illusions of Grandeur

HEN New Zealanders who had been prisoners-of-war in Italy came home recently, some of them were able to speak at first hand of how Italians felt about their leader. One soldier told "The Listener" that the staff of the hospital he was in listened to a speech by Mussolini "without one atom of enthusiasm," and the only applause was that which came overt the air. There have been other stories from Italy over the last 20 years which depict I] Duce as a comic-pathetic figure with illusions of grandeur not shared by his people: On the 19th birthday of Italian Fascism, Mussolini spoke "his usual bombast" (says "Time") to the "usual, picked, cheering crowd": "Bolshevism _...is dying .... The Italian people will be equal to the greatness of their past .... we go forward with indomitable courage . . . . There are those who are tying to prevent Fascism from passing, but we will pass." "Il Duce jutted out his jaw, and was silent. Three times the crowd gave the usual ovation, and then lett Benito Mussolini free to ponder whether Fascism was likely to pass on, pass out, or pass away." Once, the story gves, 11 Duce was dissatisfied with the reports he was getting on his latest speech, and decided to find out for himself what its effect had been; he put on a beard and walked in the streets until he met a likely looking citizen: "Buon giorno," said Mussolini, "and how did you like Il Duce’s last speech?" The citizen was terrified; he looked up and down the street to see if he was overheard. Then he took Il Duce off to a side street, and said, in.a cautious whisper: "I liked it very much." Returning home on another occasion, Mussolini decided to drop in at a picture theatre. He entered and took a seat, "unrecognised. Presently his own face appeared on the screen, and everyone stood up and applauded -except Il Duce. His enjoyment of the gratifying demonstration was interrupted by a man who leant over and said: "Stand up and clap, you fool! They'll arrest you if you don’t."